This book has caught my attention over the past couple months at B&N -- so when the TBR Challenge came to be I had to buy it...must be something from my economic roots (yes, my degree is in economics) kept telling me it was a must read. The book focuses on a bunch of odd relationships and analyzes data to draw comparisons and correlations. Yes, you can pretty much correlate any two pieces of data together but is there a causal connection? This book asks some of those questions, shows some to be true and other logical assumptions to be false. Topics I have read about so far include:
- What do school teacher and sumo wrestlers have in common -- this explores has incentive based performance objectives can lead to cheating
- How is the KKK like a group of real estate agents -- an exploration of power derived by the possession of information that another party lacks
- Why do drug dealers still live with their Moms -- comparison of how foot soldiers (street dealers) who make less than minimum wages selling seek high posts within the drug gangs just as high school footballs places and young actresses strive to make it to the big stage even though the numbers are against them
Along the way you learn bits of information into each of the classes that are discussed through the eyes of an unexpected observer -- the KKK through the eyes of an infiltrator, the Black Disciples through the eyes of a graduate student collecting research data. Very interesting to me although I know probably a boring turn off to most. The book has been quite a success and there is even an associated blog --
-- the blog focus is not as in depth but still offers insight into strange questions -- what do Bill Clinton and Jessica Simpson have in common?
Besides reading I have a couple of projects I will be working on over the next couple months -- the first will be a present to my Mom to display in her new kitchen. She is a recently retired school teacher.....here are my supplies:
eventually I will post the finished product.
7 comments:
Freakonmics has always looked like an interesting book to me. Just need to know if it is readable or dry and dull. Do tell! Those supplies look very strange! Can't imagine what you will be making with them!!!! Edge of seat!!!!!
you are my favorite nerd.....
I am sorry to inform you that a citation has been issued by the impatient and wanting more blog entry police batallion that I have just headed up! You have 24 hours young miss! Now lets get blogging!
It does not sound boring at all
It sounds FASCINATING !
But yeh, I hear Laura....is it dry or readable ?
okay your picture is disturbing me GREATLY
'Splain Lucy....
...I did not know there was a Blog Entry Police Force.....
Figures there would be....
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